Impact of a Core Ferrule Design on Fracture Resistance of Teeth Restored with Cast Post and Core

Objectives. To investigate the influence of a contra bevel on the fracture resistance of teeth restored with cast post and core. Materials and Methods. Sixty plastic analogues of an upper incisor were endodontically treated and prepared with 6° internal taper and 2 mm of ferrule in order to receive a cast post and core. The prepared samples were divided into two groups (n=30); the first group serves as control while the second group was prepared with an external 30° bevel on the buccal and lingual walls. All samples crowned were exposed to a compressive load at 130° to their long axis until fractures occurred. Fracture resistance loads were recorded and failure modes were also observed. Mann-Whitney test was carried out to compare the two groups. Results. Mean failure loads for the groups were, respectively, 1038.69 N (SD ±243.52 N) and 1078.89 N (SD ±352.21 N). Statistically, there was no significant difference between the two groups (P=0.7675>0.05). Conclusion. In the presence of a ferrule and a crown in the anterior teeth, adding a secondary ferrule to the cast post and core will not increase the resistance to fracture

Mandibular Canine Dimorphism in Establishing Sex Identity in the Lebanese Population

Background and Objective. In forensic investigations, mandibular canines provide excellent materials to identify gender since they are more likely to survive disasters. The objective of this study was to investigate gender dimorphism by comparing the mesiodistal width of mandibular permanent canines and intercanine distance in a group of Lebanese population. Methods. Participants consisted of undergraduate students from the School of Dentistry, Lebanese University, for two academic years who fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Canine widths and intercanine distance were measured by one operator directly on dental casts using a digital caliper. Results. One hundred thirty-three Lebanese dental students (54 males and 69 females) aged 18–25 were included in the study. The intercanine distance was significantly greater in males (P value 0.05) and females (P value > 0.05). The mean width of canine was greater than 7.188 mm for males. Conclusion. The parameters measured in the present study are of great help in sex identification in forensic investigations in the Lebanese adult population